Digit Vigilance Test

The term vigilance comes from the Latin word for “vigilantiam” and can be defined as a steady state of being constantly watchful, attentive, awake, and alert (Weinberg and Brumback 1990). Vigilance is heavily relied upon during situations in which humans must monitor some display in search of critical but infrequent signals (Holland 1958). For example, airline pilots must keep watch and monitor multiple displays during flight, making continuous vigilance a key aspect of their duties. In this regard, vigilance is of the utmost importance for both the safety of passengers and crewmembers while pilots navigate a complex, dynamic environment (Casner and Schooler 2015). When vigilance is lost, attention is difficult to sustain (Weinberg and Brumback 1990).

Evidence indicates that vigilance is related to but also distinct from cortical arousal. The noradrenergic reticular formation, intralaminar thalamic nuclei, basal forebrain cholinergic system, and the prefrontal cortex are all involved...